The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-05-14


spirits in prison to repentance. Our
whole work is in that spiritual world,
in that unseen universe, in that
eternity where there is no time and no
place. And our words are not the Cos
pei. At the best they are but signs of
the eternal presence. The truth and |
the love of God are the gospel, and they |
are as spiritual as God is spiritual.
The gospel is preached only when the |
truth and love of God are borne in upon |
the souls of men, and so it never was,
and never can be preached in any world
but the world of the spirit. It is the
truth and love of God coming through
inspired souls to souls that need its in
SEPARATION and salvation.
Why, then, cannot the gospel be
preached beyond death? That world
over there is spiritual world, just pre-
cisely the world in which the gospel is
preached if it is ever preached. There
are souls over there who have the gos-
pei; there are souls over there who need
the gospel; why, in heavens name can
not those that have, impart to those who
have not? Must men have bodies to
preach the gospel? Must men have bod
les to receive the gospel? Is there no
voice of the spirit? Is there noear Of the
soul? Why can you not shake off these
material conceptions and rise to full
consciousness that the kingdom of God
is spiritual, thatit is within you and no
where else ?
Here is the all-resolving light. The
kingdom of God is spiritual. The king
dom of God is within you. 1t is not
under the dominion of death, neither
indeed, can be. It is not on this side Of
the grave, it is not on the other side
of the grave, it is where there is no
grave. 1t is not before death, it is not
after death, it is where there is no
death. 1t is above death, it is below
death, it is the unseen universe-it is
the spiritual world-it is the world,
within, which is anywhere and every
where, that there is God or the human
soul. See, then, how this truth of the
absolute spirituality of the divine king
dom sweeps away all this nonsense
about the here and there, now and then
of probation and ends the whole coz
troversy. The time will come when
this controversy will be regarded, as we
now regard that great controversy of
the schoolmen, about how many angels
could dance on the point of a needle.
AS we rise to spiritual view of things
this controversy will fade out and be
laughed at.
3. But this truth of the spirituality
of the kingdom answers another ques-
ton that has caused some controversy
in our church. 1t is the question Of
punishment after death. Is there any
punishment out of the body for the sins
in the body Does the soul suffer be-
yond death for what it has done before
death ? Is there any retribution for
those who die impenitent and sinful !?
Some have held that there is. They
have stoutly cofNenIied for a vast
amount of punishment after death.
Others have contended just as stoutly
for no punishment after death. They
have argued that all retribution ends
at the dissolution of the physical form,
and the soul enters upon a life of per-
feet purity and perfect peace.
Here, you see, is the same oblivious-
ness of the absolute spirituality of Gods
kingdom. All these people have their
eyes turned outward. They are saying,
'Lo here, Lo there" They are MAX
ing material things control spiritual
conditions. They are pushing physi-
cal death into the spiritual world. They
have forgotten that the kingdom Of
God is within you.
The truth is, that physical death has
nothing to do with Gods retribution.
In his punishment for sin God knows
nothing about bodily death. Godnever
has and never will punish a soul for its
sins iii the body, Moral punishment
for moral transgression is never in the
body. God Furnishes the soul for its
sins, not in the body, but in the soul.
His retributions are in the world
where the sin is committed. Moral
punishment for moral transgression is
In the moral world, the only place in
Gods universe where there can be any
such traDsgression. The kingdom of
God is within you. In that world with
in God reigns, and where God reigns,
there are his retributions. You do not
sin in your bodies, you sin in your souls;
In your souls, therefore, is the punish
ment OF your sin. In that world with
in are the fires of retribution. "There
is where the worm dieth not and the
fire is not quenched.p So far as the
! punishment of sin is concerned, there
fore what difference does it make
whether you are in the body or out
You are punished for your sins in your
soul, what has death, therefore, to do
with the matter ? How can it arrest
that punishment? How can it in any